locomotive



PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

B. H. FLANNERY, LOGOMOTIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26,1904.

' SPECIFICATIONS OF PATENTS-MAY 9, 1905,

Pas

.789,491. Loeomorivn. Edward H. Flannery, Rockford, Ill. Filed July 25,1904. Serial No. 218,116. To (bl/1 IUIMI'IH/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. FLANNERY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to separate the locomotive from the car connected to it and at the same time out off the steam and apply the air-brakes, thereby allowing the locomotive to run ahead of thecarsin case of an accident and receive the first impact of the collision, thereby greatly reducing the shock received by the passenger-cars.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a representation of a locomotive in dotted lines and my improvements in solid lines. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the throttlevalve and my improvements for moving it. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the valve for admitting steam to the cylinder 9. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the valve liavin g a connection with the train-pipe. Fig. 5 is a section of the cylinder 9. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the rear end of the tender and front end of lirst car and the chain connection between the tcnder and car.

In the accompanying drawingsI have shown my improvements in connection with such parts of a locomotive necessary to show their application.

The locomotive in the main is of the usual construction. The coupler 1 is of the construction having the.vertically-movable locking-pin 2. A transverse shaft3 is supported by the rear end of the tender and through the arm 4 has a connection with the pin, so that by rocking the shaft the pin will be raised and the sections of the coupler allowed to separate. From this shaft extend two arms 5, each haringaconnection with a hook 6, forming a part of the chain connection between the tender and first car, located at each side of the tender. From the shaft 3 extends an arm 7, to the free end of which is pivoted a piston-rod 8. A cylinder 9 is supported by the tender and within which is located a piston 10, to which the piston-rod is connected.

The locomotive is provided with the usual air-storage tank 11, and a pipe 12 leads from this tank to the cylinder 9.' A valve 13 is located in the pipe 12, and a rod 14 connects with the valve and extends upward into the cab of the engine. At the upper end of the rod 14 is connected a handle 15, extending at rightangles thereto. By turning this rod the valve 13 is opened and air from the storagetank 11 is permitted to enter the cylinder 9 behind the piston 10, thereby moving the piston andpiston-rod 8 and through the arm 7 rock the shaft 3, which will raise the pin 2,

also tip the hooks 6, so that they will become disengaged from the links of the chain, which will disengage the locomotive from the passenger-car next to the tender. To the rod 14 is connected a cam 16, which is located in the path of the movement of the throttle-valve 17, controlling the admission of steam to the cylinder of the locomotive. As the throttlevalve is drawn out when steam isadmitted to the cylinder the short face of the cam will be nearest the throttle-lever, so that as the rod 14 is turned the larger portion of the cam will engage the th rottle-lever and move the throttle-valve in, thereby cutting 0d the steamsupply.

A valve 18 is located in the train-pipe 19, supplying air to operate the air-brakes, and when the valve '18 is turned air will escape from the train-pipe 19, thereby setting the brakes in the usual manner on the entire train.

The location of the cam 16 and valves 13 and 18 on the rod 14 with respect to each other is such that the first partial movement of the rod will turn on air to the cylinder 9, thereby breaking the connection between the tender and car connected thereto. The next partial movement will be to move the throttle-valve and cut off the steam-supply to the cylinder of the locomotive, and the final movement of the rod will be to allow air to escape from the train-pipe and set the brakes. All these results are accomplished by the single movement of the handle 15.

It has been found that in a collision the locomotive receives the first impact, and as a rule the last coach is the least injured. It is also apparent that in most collisions the en gineer after cutting 011 the steam-Suppl y, reversing his engine, and applying tliebrakes still has time to jump and in many cases without fatal injury. It is also apparent that if the locomotive could be separated from the train and all the brakes applied to the remainder of the train the locomotive would rush ahead of the remainder of the train and receive the first impact of the collision, and by the time the remainder of the train reached the wrecked locomotive its speed would be greatly reduced. Consequently the shock received by it would not be nearly as great as if the train had remained united. but the work of an instant to move the handle 15, which is the only handle to be moved by the engineer when he is aware that a collision is inevitable, and he still has more time to jump from the locomotive than he had after manipulating all the levers necessary to cut off the steam, reverse the engine, and apply the brakes.

The check-valve 20, located in the pipe 12, will hold the 'air in the cylinder 9, thereby holding the coupling-pin elevated.

I claim as my invention 1. A locomotive having a chain connection It will be with the first car in its rear, and means for separating the chain connection' from the cab of the locomotive.

2. A locomotive provided with means for disengaging it from the first car in its rear, means for cutting off the steam-supply to the cylinder of the locomotive, and means for applying the. air-brakcs, and a single lever for operating all-0f said means from the cab of the locomotive.

3. A locomotive provided with means for disengaging it from the first car in its rear, means for cutting off the steam-supply to the cylinder of the locomotive, and means for applying the air-brakes, and a single lever in the cab of the locomotive for operating said means in the rotation above stated.

EDWARD H. FLANNERY. Witnesses:

A. O. BEHEL, E. BEHEL 

